The Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) hosted 75 nurses for a continuing education session about opioid dependency, presented by Drexel University’s Continuing Nursing Education program. The three-hour session featured a panel discussion with Drexel faculty, the presentation of an opioid dependency case study, and information about the treatment for opioid substance abuse. Eligible nurses received 3.25 hours of continuing education credits.
The session was offered through the Foundation’s Supporting Treatment and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Initiative, an effort to convene community health providers and resources to increase access to effective prevention and treatment for those struggling with opioid abuse. STOP responds to an alarming increase in prescription drug abuse initiation, opioid use, and related deaths. Since 2009, Philadelphia has seen a 43 percent increase in drug-related overdose deaths, according to a 2016 DEA report.
Since its launch in 2011, the Foundation has partnered with more than 20 regional nursing schools to advance nursing education and leadership for nursing students and professionals through scholarships and learning opportunities.
